Lambertville artist helps adolescent girls, one painting at a time

Andrew Wilkinson/For The TimesRutgers University students involved in the school's Future Scholars Program get ready to fingerpaint a self-portrait.

LAMBERTVILLE — Local artist Kelly Sullivan has had a dream nudging at her for the past 20 years and last year she decided the time had come to do something about it.

“When I was in my twenties, I worked in art education in San Francisco. Kids came to the schools from disadvantaged environments and I saw how important art education was,” she said.

“I set up 15 working studios on a grant and had to come up with a way to have them paint and not have it cost a lot. I decided one big canvas and no brushes. That’s how the finger smears started and since then I’ve had over 80,000 people stick their fingers in paint at my request — people like Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Harrison Ford, well-known athletes,” said Sullivan.

“I started thinking about where we could go with this, about how great it would be to take one canvas around the world. To make a unifying piece where all would touch the canvas and sign their name. All would help design and produce it. Then I thought about how adolescent girls are the largest underserved and at-risk population in the world and they are the biggest change makers.”

Sullivan’s dream has now become a reality with Mighty Fingers Facing Change.

After a launch event Oct. 25 in the renowned David Burke Kitchen in Soho, N.Y., there will be a kickoff the first week of November with a partnering organization, Rutgers Future Scholars Program. (Details will be posted at http://www.indiegogo.com/Mighty-Fingers.)

On Nov. 11, she and her team will travel to Guatemala on the first leg of a journey that will take them to a minimum of 14 host sites on six continents.

Mighty Fingers Facing Change has partnered with nonprofit organizations all over the globe that work to support young women.

“At each location we’ll work with the girls on a two-part program,” Sullivan said.
“The first part is where each girl will be given a brown paper bag. On one side they’ll dip their fingers in acrylic paints and we’ll do a visualization exercise focused on dreams, what inspires them, how actions effect tomorrow and how to make a good outcome, what they’re capable of,” she said.

“On the other side they’ll paint a self-portrait. They will be encouraged to fill their bags with their dreams or stories. There will be a digital version to be posted on the website and they get to keep the bag.

“For the second part, we’ll all work together and the girls will design and paint on the 16-by-5 (foot) canvas mural we’ll take to each site. This is the unifying part of the project,” Sullivan said.

“All will help design and produce it, all will touch the canvas and sign their name. ... That’s what’s powerful. All the marks come together and make this beautiful statement as a unit—the first-ever ‘Global FingerSmear’ created canvas made by girls all over the world.”

A videographer, who is part of the team, will create video uploads and clips of the journey, the girls and their artwork.

“We’ll be starting in New Jersey and the girls will see their paintings in Guatemala, and then they’ll all see their’s in Jackson, Wyoming, then Edmonton, Canada, etc. — they each see where the art has been and where it’s going. One piece of art that celebrates their individuality and the other part their marks and names on the Global FingerSmear.”

“… We share a focus on girls, and know that art is a great approach to promote what they need: an outlet for expressing emotions that build rather than break down relationships,” says Dr. Cheryl Dellasega, a board member of Mighty Fingers Facing Change. “FingerSmear also offers a wonderful opportunity for dialogue across ages and cultures.”

The project’s comprehensive website outlines the program in detail, offers space for visitors’ comments, photos of some of Sullivan’s previous projects and a way donations can be made. It also offers the summary of Sullivan’s dream:

“… By enabling girls to express themselves through the creativity, collaboration and honesty of art, Mighty Fingers Facing Change will show girls that they have the power to dream big and succeed, to create stronger communities, and to build a better future.”

And she says, “Fingers really aren’t that strong, but when you put them together, they are mighty.”